1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to physiotherapy, chiropractic and sports medicine exercise and rehabilitation equipment used in the treatment of back pain, that either attempt to strengthen spinal supportive muscles, or alleviate pain aggravated by gravitational compression of the human spine. The only therapies presently available for this common condition are the use of various exercise equipment for strengthening trunk muscles, or equipment for easing back pain, namely traction equipment, such as inversion apparatuses that invert the human body so that a reverse gravity traction can unload the spinal discs while the patient remains inverted, or equipment that traction""s the spine by mechanical means. Though this pain relief is often only while under traction, for patients suffering from loss of fluid in the compressed state, temporary pain relief exists after use, as while under traction these leaky discs expand and temporarily re-absorb lost fluid.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
Although various prior art relates to exercise of the back muscles, or various means of tractioning the spine, the problem of needed, non passive progressive resistance exercise to strengthen spinal support muscles at the same time under pain alleviating traction to make the exercise possible was previously unresolved or not addressed.
This invention is the first ever apparatus that offers a progressive resistance exercise to all the long muscles of the human trunk, while the spine is in traction, and offers a less temporary, longer lived pain relief than traction only methods, by strengthening trunk muscles that support the spine. The erector muscles of the back, abdominal and oblique can be strengthened while under pain alleviating traction, thus improving spinal muscular support, in many cases improving the condition of individuals afflicted by spinal compression pain typically caused by discs that flatten excessively and push against spinal nerves. In some cases using this invention will be an alternative to medical surgery. This progressive resistance exercise traction therapy is made possible by the invention which embodies traction force applied to the backrest to bias the backrest away from the seat, such as applied by coil springs that tension as they elongate. This traction force is transmitted to the user as an upward pull applied to the user""s trunk by attaching the user""s trunk to the backrest by such means as under the armpit holders that are perpendicular to the backrest. Exercise resistance for back extension is transmitted to the user via the backrest being loaded with resistance on the opposing side of the backrest""s horizontal axis shaft that is held between two bearings. This shaft acts as the backrest hinge and transmits weight resistance for back exercise via the back rest rotating the said shaft and rotating a cam at one end of it, correspondingly lifting a weight stack from the floor by a cable attached to said cam, running along cam""s circumference. On this cam is an adjustable counterweight to offset the user""s upper body mass with respect to the upper body angle and gravitational effects on it. For abdominal and frontal muscle resistance, the said cable is unattached from the cam, disengaging the weight stack on the floor, and the counterbalance is set from neutral balance, to under balance the user""s upper body mass, so that the back rest requires abdominal effort by the user to stay, or to return to, the starling position of a 90 degree angle between the upper body and upper legs. The back rest can be pivotally rotated on an axis perpendicular to the backrest""s hinge axis by the user""s trunk twisting to place emphasis on the oblique muscles during both back and abdominal exercise, or locked in the forward facing position. Additional traction may be applied by gravitational means with the embodiment of a seat that is part of a rearward rotating horizontal axis shaft, held high enough off the floor in bearings between two vertical posts to allow inversion clearance. This shaft rotates the seated user and backrest assembly backward, and when rotated to minus 90 degrees, the seat bottom would then be perpendicular to the floor. If the user is seated at the usual 90 degree start position, their upper body would now be horizontal to the floor. The full inverted position is not reached until the user extends the back the full 90 degrees. If steep inversion is selected, the user is held from falling by an adjustable padded device that engages the person behind the knee, then the lower leg is bent at near right angles, and the ankles or lower legs are held front and back between another set of adjustable pads. Also, a strap across the uppermost part of the upper legs, near the waist, holds the user to the seat bottom, and holds the pelvis in place during the biomechanics of the rearward exertion.